This month’s rainfall and cooler temperatures have helped lessen the strain on salmon migrating on the Eel River, but not near enough to ease the concerns of local researchers. And they have their reasons. By: Will Houston November 29, 2015 Eureka Times Standard Since Chinook salmon began entering the drought-stricken river this year, they were … Read more
Hoping to capitalize on the epic drought, the state’s water industry wants to usher in a new era of dam-building in the state. But environmentalists say it would cost billions and do more harm than good. By Will Parrish On the edge of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness, about 15 miles north of the dusty town … Read more
H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, includes an alarming amendment that would allow hydropower operators to bypass environmental laws like the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, and could limit the powers of states, tribes, and natural resource agencies.
There are more than 87,000 dams in America and, like most infrastructure, they go largely unnoticed — until something goes wrong. That was the case in and around South Carolina’s capital this week, when at least 20 dams collapsed during catastrophic floods. The number of dam breaches was rare. But to experts who monitor dam … Read more
Read Friends of the Eel River’s response to this article. The Eel River came close to reaching its lowest recorded flow reading near Scotia on Tuesday but is not expected to reach it any time this week due to Wednesday’s rainfall. On Monday and Tuesday, pressure flow gauges near Scotia recorded an average flow of … Read more
June 2, 2015 Honorable Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426-0001 via Electronic Submittal (E-Filing) Re: COMMENTS on Application by Pacific Gas and Electric for Temporary Variance Of Minimum Flow Requirement, Potter Valley Project (FERC Project No. 77- 275); MOTION TO INTERVENE. Dear Secretary Bose, Friends of … Read more
The unregulated growth of California’s wine industry in the state’s coastal regions is depleting groundwater supplies and devastating rivers and fisheries. By: Will Parish Published: May 27, 2015 in the East Bay Express Read article online in East Bay Express Along the border of Sonoma and Napa counties, roughly seven miles northeast of Santa Rosa, … Read more
Federal authorities have granted temporary flow reductions aimed at keeping more water in Lake Pillsbury, a small but crucial reservoir high in the Mendocino National Forest that supplies water to the Eel River, Lake Mendocino, the Russian River and the people, farmers and fish dependent on them. The move is aimed at ensuring healthier river … Read more
Federal approval of a drought-related request to reduce flows from Lake Pillsbury could come Friday or early next week, relieving concerns shared by PG&E, North Bay water managers and ranchers in Potter Valley. If the remote reservoir on the Eel River in Lake County falls too low this summer, it could trigger a dramatic cutback … Read more
At the Potter Valley Water Project, owned and operated by PG&E, water is not wasted. It is waste. That’s because the two dams, the manmade lake, the reservoir, the tunnel and the Archimedes Screw, are all parts of a facility that produces between three and 8.4 megawatts of hydroelectric power. The water is just a … Read more